Monday Memo
October 17-21
General Notes
1) We're throwing out the Lost and Found in the office this Friday, so have your students check out the front office if they are missing anything.
2) Start brainstorming how you would like to decorate a trunk for YACS' Trunk or Treat on Monday, October 31st. You can also start reminding your creative learners to bring in candy for the event.
3) Wednesday, October 26th is Teacher Appreciation Night at the opening Pelicans game against the Nuggets. Balcony tickets are $15, and lower level tickets are $36 and include a Mardi Gras themed Pelicans jersey. Please contact Denton Hunter at denton.hunter@pelicans.com or 504-593-4748 and mention *TEACH* for the discount.
Notes from the School Leader
A little humor to start the week
Aside from teaching, one could argue that communicating with parents is one of the most important responsibilities of a teacher. Keeping your parents in the loop is the best way to improve your students' academic progress. Think about all of the things your parents WANT to know. What is my child struggling with this week? What was the best part of his/her week? Is someone bothering my child in class. How did she/he get this bruise? When does homework come home? When is the next test?
These are all questions (plus more) that the staff members in the front office receive daily. While the staff is more than willing to answer as many questions as possible for you, nobody can answer these questions better than the teacher. In which case communicate frequently with parents. For notifications to the whole class try newsletters or ClassDojo. For personal notifications, try phone calls, text messages, or emails,
Parents are sending their best child. The only way they can make their child better is through knowing their weaknesses.
*Note: Be careful about what you send though text, dojo, or email. Messages can easily get lost in translation. Additionally, too many texts and emails with little verbal communication causes parents to feel like you are avoiding them.
Parent Contact Log
It is also important to keep a contact log. Documenting parent communication is a strong evidence that you’ve communicated with the parents.
Dismissal
Thanks for a smooth transition to a new carpool system. Things are flowing better now. A few reminders:
- Please begin transitions at 2:50 so that our hallways are clear and ready for announcement by 3:00.
- Please don’t let students walk to after school by themselves. It important that we try our best to track all of our students during dismissal.
- Listen for the announcement to cue a transition. Moving before the announcement is made can cause a congestion in the hallways.
Staff Meeting
There is a staff meeting on Tuesday. You are encouraged to come to school tomorrow wearing your team color and jeans. We will have some fun and games so please dress accordingly!
October 26 Late Take - In
We have seen how hard you all have been working. We know that at this moment everyone needs time to plan! Don’t worry, on October 26th you will have the entire PLC time to plan with your team. Please prepare accordingly.
Additionally, the leadership team is making some significant efforts to cut back on the number of meetings so that you may have more time to plan. Pass the message along
This is OUR school. WE are in this TOGETHER. Keep up the outstanding work! We are making huge strides in the right direction.
1st Quarter Report Cards
The first quarter is over! Report cards will go home next Friday, 10/21. Please have all grades in by Wednesday, 10/19. No grades will be accepted after the deadline so please make sure you get everything in by then.
As you input grades this week, make sure to set the date on the assessment to fall within the 1st quarter, from 8/11/16 - 10/13/16. If you do not set the date, the assessment will not show up on this report card.
As a reminder, you are required to have 10 assessments per quarter for every subject (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies).
Here is quick video going over how to enter grades in Kickboard.
The password for the video is: yacs
Notes from the Assistant School Leader
Professional Growth Plans are due into Compass by October 21st, 2016. Please click here to gain a little more information about PGPs.
Substitute Plans
If you have not submitted your emergency substitute plans, please do so as soon as possible. Click here for a template that you are able to use. If you choose to use another template, please be sure that includes all of the elements that are provided in the example.
Boss' Day
Shout out to Boss Man a.k.a. Mr. House for leading us everyday towards the path of success. We appreciate your hard work, dedication, and commitment to YACS.
Schedules on Google Drive
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_xtw9LxhJvhZzk0WHZXT0NQWjA